1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a novel lighting technology, and a lighting device incorporating such technology. The lighting device is a fluid-filled, hand-held signal light that is safe, durable, and energy efficient. The present lighting device lends itself to a wide spectrum of indoor and outdoor applications.
2. Description of Related Art
Lighting devices are known that are used for both aesthetic and utilitarian purposes. Lighting devices conventionally comprise a housing containing a light element, a power source for the light element, and a medium through which the light travels from the light element to the exterior of the housing. For example, in a flashlight, the light element is a light bulb, the power source a couple of batteries, and the medium is air between the light bulb and the clear plastic cover.
Many of the prior art lighting devices suffer from limitations, including that such devices are incapable of producing intensely visible light from many yards away, and that the few devices that are capable of producing such illumination are not durable or energy efficient. Bulbs bum out, batteries weaken, water shorts electrical components, and housings break easily when dropped or jarred.
Specific prior art is discussed below, and the art generally categorized into three groups. Some lighting devices utilize a light-emitting diode as the light element, while others immerse the light element in a fluid. The addition of a fluid to a lighting device not only adds to its durability, but the fluid also promotes an even distribution of light. The following groups of prior art are the permutations of lighting devices with and without the light element being a light-emitting diode, and lighting devices with and without the medium being a fluid.
A. Non-LED Lighting Devices Lacking Fluid
U.S. Pat. No. 2,611,019 to Warner discloses a device for a multicolored hand-held signal light. This device is designed for attachment to a flashlight. It illuminates a translucent tube with selectively visible multicolored light from an incandescent white light source. It features a mechanism for changing light colors. The bulb is mounted in an opaque section of the housing resulting in low light intensity. U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,305 to Kolm discloses a portable electronic safety flare system comprising a high-intensity signal strobe visible up to two miles. A transparent tube contains a xenon strobe light, circuit board, and two AA batteries as the power supply.
The device of U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,321 to Cimock is a flashlight wand designed as a children""s toy. The wand contains two DC batteries, a small incandescent bulb, and light reflecting objects. Light production of the Cimock device is limited. U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,203 to Harris, Jr. discloses a waterproof taxi light to guide aircraft on a tarmac. The device includes a lighted signal member with an elongate, translucent tubular member adapted for providing both daytime and nighttime illumination. The light source is a DC battery powered flashlight bulb. The translucent tube provides for light dispersion. Harris, Jr. discloses the use of a clear fluid within the translucent tubular member (column 6, lines 10-15), but the light element, a bulb, is not even partially submerged in the fluid. Thus, the light is not as intense as it could be if the light element were at least partially submerged in the fluid.
B. Non-LED Lighting Devices with Fluid
U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,777 to Lo Giudice discloses a novelty display device incapable of producing intensely visible light. Designed for amusement, this device uses miniature lamps strung through the length of a liquid-filled housing to illuminate a continuous flow of bubbles through a liquid contained within a hollow glass tube. Boiling liquid heated by lighted bulbs is the bubble source. The device is not only an inadequate means of producing high intensity lighting, but it is also not durable because the glass housing will likely shatter if dropped. U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,458 to George, Jr. discloses decorative light tubing for lighted tube displays. The device comprises a flexible tube containing a dielectric fluid (such as mineral oil or glycerin) and low voltage filament bulbs. However, this device is incapable of producing high-intensity lighting.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,974 to Lew et al. discloses an optically decorated light baton with multiple purposes similar to the present prototype. It is a portable light tube with reflective platelets suspended in a medium, and in one embodiment phosphorescent or fluorescent material coats the light-emitting tube. The device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,781 to Orak is a novelty flashlight with color producing chambers intended for use as a toy or amusement. It comprises a low heat generating filament bulb and colored-fluid-containing transparent cups mounted to a power receiving housing. The light is not intensely visible because the bulb is at one end of the housing, which itself lacks fluid. The device requires continuous agitation to swirl the liquid colors. Although the housings of these two devices are fluid-filled, the light is not intensely visible partly because the light sources are located at only one end of the device where there is no fluid. Furthermore, although both devices utilize fluid mediums, both require agitation to obtain the full effect of the fluid: the Orak device requires agitation to swirl the liquid colors and the Lew et al. device requires agitation to make the light reflecting particles move through the fluid.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,406 to Mattice discloses a lighted baby bottle designed for easy location in the dark. A filament bulb produces a low intensity glowing light and some heat. U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,021 to Lin discloses a decorative lamp designed for aquarium accent lighting. A tube containing water and artificial fish is illuminated by a low-intensity, heat-producing filament bulb not immersed in the fluid. A bubble valve produces air bubbles which cause the artificial fish to move.
C. Lighting Devices Employing LEDs
U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,784 to Yokogawa et al. discloses an electric fishing float designed for nighttime visibility. The upper section of the tubular float contains LEDs or a miniature incandescent bulb and the lower section contains energizing cells not immersed in fluid. U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,442 to Brown discloses an illuminated, waterproof signal device. Its tubular wand contains a power source, circuit board, switch, compressible spring to maintain electrical contact, and a plurality of incandescent or LED (preferred) light sources.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,695 to Lin et al. discloses a hand-held signal stick designed to flash different colored light signals in a particular sequence. The tubular device contains batteries, a circuit board, a plurality of LEDs usually of different colors connected between positive and negative wire rods, and an LED selector switch. Although this device is capable of producing visual signals of a particular light and of flashing color signals in a predetermined sequence, connecting the LEDs to wire rods is not as stable as connecting the LEDs to the structure of the device. Thus, this device is not durable as a blow to the signal stick can disconnect one of the connections. Finally, the device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,524 to Campman is a durable, submersible hand-held light wand designed for visual signaling. Its tubular translucent housing has egg-shaped ends to withstand pressures at great depths. The housing contains multicolored LED light sources connected to a power source by magnetic switches and resistor elements, operated by a rotating ring switch containing a magnetic portion.
Therefore, it can be seen that a need still exists in the lighting system art for a safe, reliable, durable, long lasting, and energy-efficient device that produces intensely visible light of controllable intensities under a wide variety of outdoor and indoor circumstances and conditions. It is to such a lighting device that the present invention is primarily directed.
Briefly described, in a preferred form, the present invention comprises a new light-generating technology, and lighting devices that incorporate the technology. The light-generating technology incorporates the use of a fluorescent dye dissolved in a fluid medium that at least partially surrounds the light element. The preferred lighting device utilizing this lighting principal comprises a durable housing, a light element, a power source for the light element, and a lighting fluid at least partially surrounding the light element.
The device is lightweight, safe, durable, long lasting, and energy efficient. The present lighting device incorporates the following characteristics, among others, which distinguish the invention from the prior art: (a) the new lighting principlexe2x80x94fluorescent dye dissolved in a fluid medium; (b) high energy efficiencyxe2x80x94high light intensities generated by low power (AC or DC); (c) long operational lifexe2x80x94subject only to power supply, light emission continues indefinitely without chemical breakdown or materials fatigue; (d) adjustable light intensityxe2x80x94by composition of the fluid medium and control of the power source; (e) simple constructionxe2x80x94few parts to fail; and (f) durable constructionxe2x80x94water-submersible and shock-proof, virtually unbreakable in normal use.
In a preferred form, the housing is columnar and has two releasably secured sections: a gripping section and a light-emitting section. The gripping section contains two 1.5 volt DC batteries for energizing the LEDs of the lighting elements. At the base of the gripping section is a recessed rotary switch that enables the user to turn the device on and off.
The light-emitting section comprises an LED secured to the housing and at least partially submerged in a lighting fluid. In a preferred form, the device comprises four LEDs for sufficient light intensity, and the lighting fluid comprises a solution of approximately 10 ml water, 7 ml of 80 proof vodka as a non-toxic ethanol source, and 5 ml of water-soluble, non-toxic, fluorescent color from Createx Colors of East Granby, Conn. The lighting fluid preferably fills approximately xe2x85x9eths of the light-emitting section, leaving approximately xe2x85x9th of the section as air space. Coolants of the lighting fluid can be other than alcohol, for example de-icing fluid Types 1 and 4. While these are toxic, they can be used with or without aqueous dilution with water. It will be understood by those of skill in the art that ingredient concentrations can vary to produce different effects and intensities, although some combinations may have disadvantageous effects. For example, as more color is used, the more likely it is to adhere to the LEDs, causing a rise in temperature.
Fewer or more than four LEDs may be used. More would generate higher light intensities for such applications as stop lights, brake lights, flashing signs and the like, while fewer would produce lower intensities suitable more for room lighting, outdoor lights, night lights, key chains, indicator lights to operate under extreme conditions, personal safety devices and tracking devices. Further, infrared LEDs provide military and governmental applications such as targeting, tracing, tracking and night vision. The uses and flexibility of the present device and its underlying technology are virtually endless.
The housing of one preferred embodiment is approximately fourteen inches long, of which the gripping section is approximately six inches and the light-emitting section approximately eight inches. In this embodiment, the housing diameter is roughly one inch, and incorporates a nearly uniform cross-section along its length.
The device is highly durable because in the preferred form the light elements are fixedly secured to the housing. This greatly reduces the chance of disabling one of the connections, or enabling the LEDs to wobble loosely within the housing. In addition, the present invention is unbreakable under normal conditions. In testing of a prototype, it was found to withstand the shock of being dropped from six feet in height, and functioned indefinitely with undiminished intensity while immersed in water.
The present invention is superior to prior art devices in numerous ways. The following examples are specific distinguishing features of the present invention and the above-described prior art. The present invention differs from the Harris, Jr. light in its use of LEDs in a fluorescing fluid as an integral part of a lighting principle. The Harris, Jr. device is not submergible, nor as durable as the present invention. The present devices differ from that of Harris, Jr. in that their body is filled with a mixture of ethanol, water, and fluorescent dye, and has LEDs as the light source. The LEDs are pushed to a controllably higher voltage limit than they were designed for because the fluid serves as a coolant in addition to dispersing the light. The filament bulb of the Harris, Jr. device draws high power vs. that of the present devices"" LEDs, but emits a much lower intensity of usable light. Compared to light bulbs, LEDs are less subject to breakage in use and have a far longer life span. In fact, the design of the present invention was prompted by use of a Harris, Jr. type device under harsh airport conditions where it failed under temperature extremes, and broke when dropped or exposed to vibration. Harris, Jr. discloses that a clear liquid could be used in its fluidless device, but the reason for this is unclear as the bulb of Harris, Jr. would fail under immersion. Finally, the Harris, Jr. design has limited use, not the broad applications foreseen for the technology of the present application.
The Lew et al. device differs from the present invention in having incandescent vs. LED light sources, reflective platelets in the medium, a phosphorescent or fluorescent surface coating (if present) vs. dissolved in the fluid, and it must be agitated or mixed during use to make the light reflecting particles move through the medium. Further, only low light intensities are generated.
Thus, an object of the invention is to provide an improved lighting device embodying a new lighting principle extendable to a wide range of outdoor and indoor lighting applications.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a lighting device that has an adjustable light intensity yet visible from over 100 yards away.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a safe, reliable, durable, long lasting, and virtually unbreakable lighting device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a lightweight device.
An object of the present invention is to disclose a new lighting principlexe2x80x94fluorescent dye dissolved in a fluid medium;
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a lighting device with high energy efficiencyxe2x80x94high light intensities generated by low power (AC or DC).
Further objects of the present invention are to provide a lighting device that has a long operational lifexe2x80x94subject only to power supply; whose light emission continues indefinitely without chemical breakdown or materials fatigue; that is simple to construct with few parts to fail; and that is durablexe2x80x94water-submergible and shock-proofxe2x80x94virtually unbreakable in normal use.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures.